U.S. Department of Education: Promoting Educational Excellence for all Americans
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FY 2007 Budget Summary
Summary of the 2007 Budget
Elementary and Secondary Education
Special Education and Rehabilitative Services
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Student Financial Assistance
Higher Education Programs
Institute of Education Sciences
Programs Proposed for Elimination
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Fiscal Year 2007 Budget Summary — February 6, 2006

Archived  Information

Section II. C.  Vocational and Adult Education

Overview

Programs in the Vocational and Adult Education account, as they are currently configured, provide formula grants to States to further State and community efforts to improve vocational education programs and adult education and literacy systems. All programs in this account (except for the Smaller Learning Communities program, authorized under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965) are subject to reauthorization this year.

Vocational and Technical Education
(B.A. in millions)

  2005 2006 2007
Request
 
Vocational Education State Grants $1,194.3 $1,182.4
Tech-Prep Education State Grants 105.8 104.8
Tech-Prep Demonstration 4.9
National Programs 11.8 9.2
Occupational and Employment
  Information
9.3
Total
1,326.1

1,296.3

The Administration is requesting no funding for current Vocational Education programs. The Administration's Program Assessment Rating Tool (PART) process rated Vocational Education State Grants as Ineffective because the program has produced little or no evidence of improved outcomes for students despite decades of Federal investment. In particular, the latest full-scale evaluation of the program, the National Assessment of Vocational Education published in June 2004, found no evidence that high school vocational courses themselves contribute to academic achievement or college enrollment.

The High School Reform initiative (described under Elementary and Secondary Education) would expand the application of No Child Left Behind principles to the high-school grades by providing States with a flexible resource that can be used for efforts to improve high school education and raise achievement, particularly the achievement of students most at risk of failure. States and school districts would be able to use the funds for vocational education, tech-prep programs, mentoring and counseling programs, and other purposes, depending on State and local needs and priorities. The new initiative would give States and districts more flexibility than they have under the categorical programs it would replace, and would also have stronger accountability mechanisms. In addition, the budget request includes major increases for other programs to strengthen secondary education for all students, including career and technical education students. These include the State Scholars initiative, Striving Readers, and the Advanced Placement program.

Tribally Controlled Postsecondary Vocational and Technical Institutions is currently authorized under the Perkins Act. The Administration is requesting funding for the program in the Higher Education account because the Administration believes this activity should be authorized under the Higher Education Act, along with other programs that provide institutional support for postsecondary institutions.

Adult Education (Adult Basic and Literacy Education)
(B.A. in millions)

  2005 2006 2007
Request
 
Adult Basic and Literacy Education
  State Grants
$569.7 $564.0 $564.0
National Institute for Literacy 6.6 6.6 6.6
National Leadership Activities 9.1 9.0 9.0
Total
585.4

579.6

579.6

The Administration requests $564 million for Adult Education formula grants to States, $9 million for National Leadership Activities, and $6.6 million for the National Institute for Literacy. The request for Adult and Literacy Education State grants will assist States in meeting a significant and ongoing need for adult education services. The continued high rate of high school dropouts and the growing numbers of adult immigrants generate high demand for adult education services. The request includes continuation of a $68 million set-aside for English Literacy/Civics Education State Grants to help States and communities provide limited English proficient adults with expanded access to high-quality English literacy programs linked to civics education.

Special Education and Rehabilitative Services  Table of contents  Student Financial Assistance

For further information contact the ED Budget Service.

This page last modified—February 6, 2006 (mjj).